Paying attention to the details in a hockey game can mean the difference between winning and losing. It all starts in practice, where coaches and players must focus on the little details that directly translate to game situations. In the 2024-25 Stanley Cup Final, the Edmonton Oilers repeatedly found themselves trailing early. This placed them in a position where they were "chasing the game"—trying to score goals while the Panthers could adopt a more relaxed, defensive style. The Florida Panthers exemplify what occurs in this Stanley Cup Final when a team pays meticulous attention to detail. They are back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions because of details.
1. DEFENSIVE SIDE POSITIONING
In this clip, the puck is in the Edmonton zone, and Corey Perry has the defensive side. Maintaining the defensive side means keeping position between your opponent and the net. A helpful self-talk cue is to remind yourself: "NET-ME-MAN" or "MAN-ME-NET." In this play, Barkov spins away from Perry and sets up proper net-me-man positioning—he has gained the defensive side. This concept of being on the defensive side applies all over the ice, from the defensive zone to the offensive zone. Other useful teaching and learning cues include "play above the puck," "keep the puck in front of you," "do not turn your back on the puck," and "face the puck."
2. STICK-ON-PUCK CHECKING
The key detail to winning battles all over the ice is trying to strip the opponent of the puck using stick-on-puck checking. This involves using the blade of your stick to poke the puck away from your opponent. Other details include using your free hand on your opponent's hips to off-balance them, making it easier to regain possession of the puck. The final detail is crucial: if you cannot gain possession of the puck with your stick, you must play the opponent's body, so they must get through you to get to the puck.
3. PRESSURE AND ANGLING
When you are not involved in a board battle and are pursuing a player with the puck (in open ice), you need to establish a good angle and apply quick pressure to the puck carrier, taking away their time and space. If you play pressure hockey with good defensive side positioning, your opponents will have to go through you to create a scoring opportunity. We call this "in your face hockey," and it generates turnovers and goals.
4. KEEPING A HIGH FORWARD IN THE OFFENSIVE ZONE
We refer to this tactical concept as keeping a "High F3." A high F3 is ideally positioned to defend, ensuring your team always has three players back in defensive coverage. When your team gains possession of the puck, F3 is in what we call "the quiet space"—an area usually free of defensive players, making F3 available for a pass and shot on net. In this specific situation, Barkov wins the puck using stick-on-puck checking, gets his "eyes up," scans the ice, and finds Reinhart in the slot for a goal. Reinhart skates into the quiet area, away from coverage, and finds himself wide open by paying attention to these positioning details.
5. CATCH AND RELEASE
When Barkov passes the puck to Reinhart, he has his eyes up, scans the goal, and quickly executes a "catch and release" shot. This detail is crucial for shooters because by catching and shooting at once, Reinhart catches the goalie off guard and scores the goal. He does not stickhandle the puck several times before shooting. Some coaches refer to excessive stickhandling before shooting as "dusting the puck"—a habit that gives goalies time to set up and defenders time to close gaps.
CONCLUSION
When you and your team adhere to these five details that the Florida Panthers execute so well, you will be "playing the right way." Playing the right way—with attention to these fundamental details—is the key to success at any level of hockey. The Panthers proved that championship-level play does not stem from spectacular individual efforts but from consistent execution of these basic principles that create opportunities and prevent opponents from generating theirs.
These details, when practised consistently and executed with discipline, transform a good hockey team into a championship-calibre team that can control games through systematic pressure and positioning.
Important Note: These five details are just a partial list of the many fundamentals championship teams like the Florida Panthers focus on daily. Numerous other details contribute to playing the right way, from face-off positioning to power play setups to goaltending techniques. The key lesson is that success in hockey comes from mastering many small details rather than relying on a few big plays. Every aspect of the game has details worth studying and perfecting.
Enio Sacilotto is President of International Hockey Camps and runs the Mental Edge High-Performance Training. Enio has 43 years of coaching experience (professional hockey in Europe and the Victoria Royals (WHL)). Currently, he coaches at the Burnaby Winter Club Hockey Academy, is the Croatian National Men’s hockey team coach and is the Head Coach with the Grandview Steelers. If you have questions or are interested in his services, contact Enio at enio@coachenio.com or call 604 255 4747. Website: www.coachenio.com.
